I'll Be With You
by chatarthics
Summary: (Alternative Ending) Rapunzel escapes her binds and saves Eugene from the knife destined to end his life. In turn giving up her own


"But you'll never be alone. I'll be here with you from dusk till dawn."

_

Rapunzel feels like her heart has been ripped right out of her chest. Her vision blurs and blurs again each time she tries to wipe away the tears her mind at a lost. She tries to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why Eugene took off with the crown (just as Mother had said he would) and why it hurts so much that he proved Mother-right. Yet, no matter how many solutions she comes up with they all lead to the same conclusion. _Love_ , Rapunzel was in love with Eugene and for that reason, she couldn't find it in herself to let go of him, and just forget everything they had been through together.

Outside her door, she heard her Mother call for her to join her at dinner and with a heavy heart she obeyed. Just as she went to do this, her eyes caught sight of something on her wall and she looked closer. Studying the shape that seemed to resemble a sun, green eyes framed by long golden hair widened as the blonde realized she had been painting the emblem she had seen just a few hours prior in the town with Eugene. Looking around she realized they were everywhere and her heart rate sped up as she put the pieces together.

 _"Who is that?" Rapunzel pointed towards the mosaic displaying the King and Queen with a Baby in their arms. Eugene looked to where she pointed and then turned to face her with an indifferent expression on his face._

 _"That's King Frederick and Queen Arianna and their baby daughter, the lost princess who was kidnapped long ago." He explained. Rapunzel gasped at this and then looked at the picture her eyes widening with disbelief that someone could take away such a precious little baby._

 _"Do you know the baby's name?" She asked. Eugene shook his head in negative._

 _She chanced another look, noticing that the painting of the baby had green eyes and short golden hair._

Rapunzel gasped in shock at the revelation, backing up with disbelief as she fell into the mirror her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"Rapunzel, what's going on in there? I thought I told you to wash up for dinner." The blonde did not answer, her mind coming to the sickening truth that this woman whom she had called Mother for eighteen long years, was her kidnapper. Haven taken her away from her real parents and a normal life. Anger welled up in Rapunzel and she did not bother to hide it as she all but threw the door open and raced down the stairs meeting the black haired woman in the living area.

"It was you!" She shouted, her voice conveying her anger.

The raven-haired woman stepped back in confusion and then chuckled.

"Rapunzel, dear what are you talking about? C'mon now I know you're angry about that thief, but that's no reason-"

"I'm the lost princess!" Rapunzel interrupted, "aren't I? Do you know what I'm talking about now, Mother? Or should I even call you that?" She spat in disgust, her hands clenching into tight fists. Cold blue eyes glared hard at Rapunzel, causing a chill to run down her spine.

"Everything I did, was to protect you. You think your mother and father wanted you? They were going to use you to keep them young. I wanted you because I could not have a child of my own. I loved and protected you, and this is what I get." Gothel griped. Rapunzel felt her anger double as the woman who had continuously told her lies to keep her from the world, kept going spewing nothing but excuses.

"No! You used me, you never cared about me! Everything you did to me was for your benefit. Well, not anymore. I will never let you use my hair again!" The blonde shouted pushing Gothel who tried to put a hand on her arm. The very thought of Gothel touching Rapunzel disgusted her to no end.

As she turned and walked away, she failed to see the look of malice pass over the old woman's face.

_

Rapunzel awoke dazed and confused. Her eyelids felt heavy and she couldn't seem to pick up her arms. Her head ached a sharp pain surrounding the crown of her head. Blinking, the blonde forced her eyes to open taking in her surroundings.

She was met with the same walls she'd grown up in, concluding the fact that she was still in the tower. Looking to her hands, Rapunzel was shocked to see her arms covered in a thick band of chains, making it impossible for her to move. Discovering this caused Rapunzel to panic and she tried to move, not noticing that she was being watched.

"It didn't have to come to this, flower." The voice brought Rapunzel reeling back in fright as Gothel appeared from the shadows her gaze not at all soft as it used to be. In one hand she held a knife and the other a cloth.

Fear coursed through the blonde at the objects at hand, knowing that Gothel was no longer worried about Rapunzel's well-being, as long as her hair was intact. And should anyone get in the way, she had no doubt Gothel would remove them no matter the cost.

She opened her mouth to say something, anything to get the crazy woman to have mercy when the sound of hard hooves on leafy grounds sounded, the once tense silence now interrupted. Rapunzel listened then gasped when she heard a familiar voice call for her. The sound desperate and sorrowful. She did her best to stay quiet, praying Eugene would leave so he didn't get hurt. But her hopes were dashed as she heard him start to climb the tower. Her eyes filled with trepidation as Gothel smiled wickedly picking up most of Rapunzel's hair and tossing it out of the open window for Eugene to climb.

Rapunzel looked around hurriedly for something to use when she spotted a lone piece of glass. Using her foot, Rapunzel brought it up to her hand and hurriedly began to pick the lock making sure to hide her hands from view as she did so. After a few minutes, the lock clicked and the chain was released from her wrists. She watched as Eugene climbed through the window, and Gothel emerged from the shadows raising her knife to embed it into his side. Before anyone could blink, Rapunzel leaped for the woman her petite hands pushing with all her might. She didn't get time to react as her side was suddenly filled with a sharp pain. A heat spreading from her side to her abdomen.

Rapunzel could barely make out a screech as Gothel was pushed from the tower window, falling to her death with a loud wail. She collapsed in a heap, her mind now connecting the dots that the stab written with Eugene's name on it, had plunged into her side instead. Her eyelids felt heavy and she tried her best to keep them open as she heard Eugene call for her, his familiar musk of mint and cinnamon filled her nose and she sighed softly when she felt his arms tighten around her placing her softly in his lap.

"Rapunzel, why did you do that? Look at me, hey! Look at me, Blondie. Please, you need to stay with me. Dammit, what were the words to that song? Uh, flower beam? Glow?" Rapunzel could tell Eugene was reaching a point of hysteria, and she tried to calm him her arm weighing a ton due to the blood loss as she reached for his cheek.

"Hey, it's going to be alright." She whispered, catching his attention.

Hazel eyes drowning in a sea of red tears glanced at emerald.

"You can't leave me, Rapunzel. I just got you back." Eugene whispered, tears falling faster. Rapunzel tried to give him a reassuring smile but her arms began to fall heavier and heavier and pretty soon she couldn't hold them up.

Tears started to pour from her eyes as she realized she was dying and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Knowing her time was little, Rapunzel spoke softly her mind drifting further and further into the dark pulling her with it.

"Eugene?"

He opened his eyes, clutching her tighter.

"You were my new dream." She told him, the words falling on a whisper.

He choked, his body wracking with sobs as he felt her shallow breaths.

"And you were mine."

She smiled, her hand still intertwined with his as her eyesight started to fade.

Until it, all faded to black.

_

 _Make it up, fall in love, try_

 _But you'll never be alone_

 _I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_

 _I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_

 _Baby, I'm right here_

 _I'll hold you when things go wrong_

 _I'll be with you from dusk till dawn_


End file.
